LANGUAGE AND BELONGING

Empowering Newcomer Multilingual Learners Through Simple Card Games

At recess, twelve-year-old Ali stands near the edge of the blacktop, watching a group of kids passing a ball back and forth. They are laughing, following rules he doesn’t understand, and moving quickly across the court. He wants to join but isn’t sure how. It’s his third day at a new school in a new country. He doesn’t know the game they’re playing—not only because of the language barrier, but also because of the complicated social dynamics that are unfolding.

Before multilingual newcomers can focus on learning academic content, they need to feel like they are part of the classroom community, and that starts with how they interact with their peers. A sense of belonging is essential for students to engage in learning, take risks, and make progress toward their goals.

“Lyn Westergard”

The Social Reality for Newcomer Students

For newcomer multilingual learners, arriving in a new school often means navigating unfamiliar systems, routines, and expectations—without the language needed to ask questions or connect with others. While teachers may work hard to create a welcoming environment, peer interactions often remain out of reach.

At recess, during group work, or even in line for lunch, newcomer students may find themselves standing on the sidelines, unsure how to jump in or whether they’re even welcome. At worst, newcomer students are often marginalized, face rejection, and are victims of bullying (Maynard, Vaughn, Salas-Wright, & Vaughn, 2016).

Belonging is co-created by the peer group, and we need to intentionally design opportunities for students to connect across language and cultural differences. Language is only part of the challenge. Newcomer students are also trying to make sense of fast-moving peer dynamics—friend groups, inside jokes, and unspoken social rules that have already been established (Kreuzer, 2016). Without a shared language or cultural background, it can be difficult for peers to know how to include someone new, and just as difficult for newcomers to find their way in. The result is often unintentional exclusion that can leave students feeling isolated, even in classrooms that value diversity (Office of English Language Acquisition, 2023).

UNO as an Entry Point for Belonging

UNO (and other simple card games) offers an easy, low-pressure way for newcomer students to engage with their peers. The rules are visual, predictable, and often familiar across cultures. Players can learn by watching, rely on color and number recognition, and join a game in progress without needing much verbal explanation. This makes UNO particularly valuable for students who are still acquiring English; it removes the language barrier without removing the social opportunity.

Many welcome-type activities commonly used in schools place the newcomer at the center of attention for being different. While these activities can be valuable, they may unintentionally reinforce a sense of otherness—especially when a student is still adjusting to a new environment and has yet to form peer relationships.

By contrast, activities like UNO focus on shared experiences, not individual differences. They allow newcomers to be part of a group right away, without requiring them to perform their identity or explain their background before they feel ready. These moments of connection help establish common ground and lay the foundation for deeper cultural sharing later—when the student feels a stronger sense of safety and belonging.

What makes UNO especially powerful is that it allows students to take on an active role in a group almost immediately. They make decisions, take turns, react to wins and losses, and show their personalities—sometimes without saying a word. For peers, it becomes a way to see the newcomer not as “the new kid” or “the one who doesn’t speak English,” but as a fellow player, a teammate, and part of the group. It gives students the chance to laugh, compete, collaborate, and be seen—all conditions that support belonging, confidence, and readiness to learn.

Learning Through Peer Interaction

Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory emphasizes that learning is a social process, shaped through interaction with others in meaningful contexts. For multilingual learners, especially newcomers, this means that peer relationships are not separate from learning—they are central to it.

Language develops through use, and use emerges most naturally when students engage in authentic interaction with others (Vygotsky, 1978; Gibbons, 2002).

When newcomer students participate in peer activities like card games, they are not just playing; they are observing, taking turns, listening for patterns, and responding to both verbal and nonverbal cues. These interactions support oral language development and help students make sense of new routines and expectations. Even as a student is still developing their English skills, they are engaging in meaning-making by tracking actions and interpreting social cues from others (Gibbons, 2002).

This aligns with Vygotsky’s concept of the zone of proximal development—the space between what a learner can do independently and what they can do with guidance or support. Peer-supported games like UNO offer a natural, supported entry point into the classroom community.

Beyond the Game: Language, Culture, and Learning

Activities like UNO are deceptively simple. They are more than a way to pass time during indoor recess or free time. They can be an essential entry point into language, social, and academic development. Through shared play, students begin to engage with classroom language, observe cultural norms, and practice the kinds of interactions that will serve them throughout their education.

Games like UNO also reinforce important foundational skills that support academic learning. Students practice turn-taking, waiting patiently, and responding to cues from peers. They hear language related to numbers, colors, and basic classroom routines. For newcomers who may not yet be confident in speaking, hearing peers say phrases like “your turn,” “draw two,” or “I have a red five” builds receptive language and offers models for future use. These interactions are low-stakes and repetitive—ideal conditions for early language development.

Cultural understanding also grows through play. Newcomers learn how school works—not just through written rules or teacher directions, but through informal routines, body language, humor, and expectations communicated by peers. When students are excluded from these social spaces, they are also excluded from much of the cultural and academic life of school.

Intentional Design

Creating a welcoming classroom for newcomer students requires more than kind words or colorful posters. It requires intentional opportunities for students to connect, participate, and take the lead in ways that feel natural and meaningful. Simple activities like UNO can be a powerful tool in this work—not because they are elaborate or academic, but because they allow students to engage on equal footing, build relationships, and take their first steps toward language and learning. When we design space for students to belong, we open the door for them to thrive.

References

Gibbons, P. (2002). Scaffolding language, scaffolding learning: Teaching second language learners in the mainstream classroom. Heinemann.

Kreuzer, L. H. (2016). The newcomer student: An educator’s guide to aid transitions. Rowman & Littlefield.

Maynard, B. R., Vaughn, M. G., Salas-Wright, C. P., & Vaughn, S. (2016). Bullying Victimization Among School-Aged Immigrant Youth in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 58(3), 337–344.

Office of English Language Acquisition. (2023, June). Newcomer Toolkit. U.S. Department of Education.

Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Harvard University Press.